20 from experienced marine ecologists like Henkel, who is not afraid to dive in and discover the unknown. The 187-foot NOAA Ship Nancy Foster spends two weeks every summer exploring underwater territories at Gray’s Reef. Henkel, along with a few select scientists from three other universities as well as federal agencies, was invited aboard the vessel to assess the distribution and abundance of echinoderms, like sea stars and sea urchins, and look for human impacts inside and outside the research-only area. The research is crucial to understanding long-term changes in the reef due to factors like climate change and human activity. “I think about how we know more about the surface of the moon than we know about what’s on the bottom of our ocean,” said Henkel. “There’s this huge amount that we have yet to discover. With every dive, there’s a possibility to see something new. It’s that mystery of what’s out there, and what you’re going to see this time.” JOURNEY TO THE SEA Henkel’s relationship with Gray’s Reef began in his graduate studies at the University of North Carolina Wilmington in 1999, where he studied brittle stars that live in association with sponges on Caribbean coral reefs. He was handpicked to observe the understudied echinoderms that live at the bottom of Grey’s Reef. Throughout his studies, Henkel spent four years completing advanced dive training, learning what to do if his air hose were to break or what procedures to perform if he were to lose sight of his diving buddy. He was afforded a training opportunity at the Aquarius Reef Base about five miles off of the Florida island of Key Largo, where he was able to live underwater for two weeks at a time. Henkel’s dedication to marine ecology and scuba diving led him to Gray’s Reef, but coming to ·¬ÇŃÖ±˛Ąapp — only a few hours away from the sanctuary — has allowed him to play a consistent leadership role at the sanctuary. Henkel receives support from ·¬ÇŃÖ±˛Ąapp’s Department of Biology, Graduate School, and Faculty Research Seed Grants to not only travel to the sanctuary and perform dive operations but to also sit as a member on the reef science group, a collection of marine experts that report findings to the Sanctuary Advisory Council. Because of the backing Henkel has received from ·¬ÇŃÖ±˛Ąapp and his peers, he is now the university education representative on the Sanctuary Advisory Council, a team of community-based individuals who provide leadership and direction for the operation of Gray’s Reef. Henkel’s involvement at the sanctuary has also provided academic opportunities for his students. On his first Nancy Foster mission in 2016, he invited his graduate student, Samantha Gimbel, aboard the expedition. She was able to gather significant research for her master’s thesis project on underwater organisms during her time aboard the ship. “Supporting key research feeds into our academic success at Valdosta State,” said Henkel. “Our faculty and students can have access to a wealth of knowledge that they can